People, week of March 12, 2012

MARINA DAVIDSON joined Pure Hothouse Foods Inc. as the director of procurement in January.

Marina Davidson

Prior to working at Pure Hothouse Foods, Ms. Davidson was the assistant director of procurement at Mastronardi Produce Ltd., in Romulus, MI.

Ms. Davidson has worked in the produce industry for the past 12 years, but noted that she has actually been involved since birth.

“I was born in the produce industry since my father is a grower in Mexico, but I got more involved in Nogales AZ, with Cris-P Produce,” she said.

Ms. Davidson currently resides in Michigan with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she enjoys watching hockey and rooting for the Detroit Red Wings.

ERNIE DAVIS, produce buyer for Jackson, MS-based Merchant Foodservice and Sunrise Produce, joined the company in January.

Mr. Davis has been in the produce industry for over 36 years, first getting his start in college by working at Publix supermarkets.

Before joining the team at Merchant Foodservice, Mr. Davis worked at Sysco in Knoxville, TN, for two years and Performance Food Group in Morristown, TN, for three years. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Davis is happily married with three children and spends his free time as an active member of his local church.

Brian Mullhofer

BRIAN MULLHOFER joined the team at Sunview Marketing International Feb. 16.

Mr. Mullhofer works in the domestic sales division for the Delano, CA-based company, which specializes in table grapes, prune plums, persimmons and organic raisins.

Prior to working for Sunview Marketing, Mr. Mullhofer handled sales and marketing for five years at Beverly Hills, CA-based Stevco Inc. He credited his friends with getting him involved in the produce industry.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and newborn baby in Bakersfield, CA.

KATE BALL, sales representative at Top Veg Farms Produce Distributors, began working for the Los Angeles-based company in February.

Ms. Ball has been working in the produce industry for the past three years. Her previous employers include Paragon Produce, Marina Produce and Marina Bros. Before entering into the produce industry, Ms. Ball worked as a teacher for seven years.

As a sales representative at Top Veg Farms, Ms. Ball will be handling broccoli, green onions, cabbages and cauliflower, as well as potatoes and onions.

“I’m excited about being in the produce industry because of all the great opportunity that is here,” she said.

Outside of work, Ms. Ball keeps busy as a wife and mother of two little girls, with a third one on the way this May.

April Sorensen

APRIL SORENSEN was recently promoted to potato, table grape and wine grape sales at Top Brass Marketing, the exclusive sales agent of Vignolo Farms.

Ms. Sorensen has been in the produce industry for 14 years, first getting her start by joining Vignolo Farms in 1998 and then transitioning to Top Brass Marketing in 2010. Before being promoted this year, she handled wine grape sales for the Bakersfield, CA-based company.

Ms. Sorensen was born and raised in Shafter, CA, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.